The racing world was agog on Monday following the release of pictures from Lewis Hamilton’s first day as a Ferrari driver. The seven-time champion joined the Italian team at the end of last season, ending his 11-year stay at Mercedes, where he won six world titles.
Now, as he prepares for a new chapter in his career, calling it a “new era” on his social media page, Hamilton says he has now realized his dream.
The 40-year-old signed with Ferrari at the start of last season but didn’t make the move until the end of the year. The news of his departure from Mercedes caught fans and critics by storm, as many expected him to retire with the German outfit due to their deep history together. But Hamilton’s quest for a record eighth world championship has seen him join ranks with Ferrari in search of the way forward.
Taking to social media to share pictures of his first day with the Scuderia Ferrari team, Hamilton described the day as worth remembering and said he had always dreamed of racing in a red uniform, which is Ferrari’s color.
He wrote: “There are some days that you know you’ll remember forever, and today, my first as a Ferrari driver, is one of those days.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have achieved things in my career I never thought possible, but part of me has always held on to that dream of racing in red. I couldn’t be happier to realize that dream today.
“Today, we start a new era in the history of this iconic team, and I can’t wait to see what story we will write together.”
Although Ferrari has faced changes in recent years, they had a stellar 2024 season that saw them finish second in the constructor standings with five race wins in total. The 2024 season saw their biggest improvement in recent times, and if they are able to build on that, plus being paired with one of the best racers of all time, they could even do a lot better this year.